24 May, 2011

I love looking at Right Moves. I love at houses within a 3 mile radius,. Last night I was nosing at a house that is worth over 2 million pounds. It had a lacquered red kitchen, huge cream sofas and lots of bath rooms. The bathrooms were state of the art. I had a chuckle when I saw a half used bottle of Radox at the end of one bath. You reckon with all that luxury and plushness it would be at the very least, a Jo Malone bath oil!

07 May, 2011

Why don't people with learning difficulties have the vote? Who decides how learning -difficultish you have to be before you are not eligible to vote? One of the most vulnerable areas of society does not have a voice.

28 April, 2011

William and Kate are getting married tomorrow. I am going to cook a full English (veggie ) breakfast and sit down to watch the event. The first Royal wedding I can remember is Princess Anne to Captain Mark Phillips. I was 5, thought it was all very boring and was extremely annoyed Play School was cancelled. of course the telly only had 3 channels then.

It has been a beautiful weekend. I spent yesterday at the beach Hut with Mum and Dad. Now, I am very careful when it goes to the sun- slip, slap, slop! However I was lulled in to a false sense of security - it was quite windy out on the balcony, and I thought I was well covered. But - I caught the sun, especially my nose. My nose is RED. I can't believe it! I am normally so careful, I can't remember the last time I got sun burnt. I've got a red nose, and my arms are borderline burnt. I'm ashamed and feel a bit silly. The way the sun caught my nose - I must have a big hooter. I've spent today out of the sun.Above is a picture of Tom, enjoying some rays.

08 April, 2011

I had a really horrible shouty nightmare last night. The kind where you wake up with a headache. It was really horrible , I was arguing with Mum and Angela. In real life we get on smashingly.Speaking to Angela I mentioned the horrible dream , and asked her if she ever had them."No, never." She said.Then a bit later Mum rang (Angela had tipped her off about my nightmare) - and no, she never has them either.So, its just me then.Do you think I should buy a dream catcher?

26 March, 2011

I do like a bit of Feng Shui. As with everything I take bits of what I like. i do believe a clean, tidy home makes a comfortable home. I'm not sure about the relationship/wealth corners thing though. I read that you shouldn't have compost heap in your prosperity corner of your garden. Why not? Compost is good for the soil and makes things grow, it nourishes. Wouldn't it be good to have that anywhere?

24 March, 2011

Flicking through the channels I caught thirtysomething. I love that show! It was first aired in the late 80s. In those days I was young and had a social life of sorts, so I didn't catch every episode. back then we could video stuff but some one had to be there to press the record button, and it was all a bit of a faff. Then I was in Australia in the early 90s, I saw a few episodes. What stuck me as I watched it was - no one has a home PC, there are scenes of Hope typing on a typewriter. There is a scene where Elliott uses a public phone box. the houses seem huge to me still, but now I noticed how cluttered they are. Something else I didn't notice before was how Michael and Hope's house needs work done to it. And the dangling earrings the women wear!

20 March, 2011

March is Southend Book Festival month. I have been going to the author events for the past few years. It is held at the library and each event costs about a fiver. At the evening events they serve wines and canapes and at the afternoon events, tea and cake.Yesterday me and Mum went to see Sara Paretsky. I have been reading the VI Warshawski books since the 80s, and she is part of the select group that I would pay out for the hardback for. Of course now I got my kindle, I suppose that means I would buy her books just as soon as I could. Sara was funny, bright and affectionately took the pee out of the crime genre. She was also very elegant, she had these lovely gold drop earrings and Mum liked her jacket.It was a shame it was so poorly attended, I'd say there was about 50 people there, if that. I don't know if this was because it was on a Saturday afternoon. On Wednesday evening we went to see Barbara Erksine and that was packed. I love the Book Festival and I hope that it keeps going and will not be affected by the local government cuts.

12 March, 2011

I a bit too old and cynical to be caught up in Royal Wedding fever. I was 13 when lady Di and Prince Charles got married and I thought she was beautiful but felt sorry that she was marrying such an old man and wondered why she didn't marry Prince Andrew instead. However seeing the photos of William and Kate at some official visit- I thought that girl looks like she is having the time of her life. Kate Middleton was absolutely beaming. And I thought : good on you girl! Mind you I don't know if she was glowing because she is in love and getting married, or if she just likes all the attention...

08 March, 2011

I've just finished reading Bones Under the Beach Hut by Simon Brett., which is the latest instalment of the Feathering Mysteries.I love these books, they are my favourite comfort cozy , but the books do have a dark under tone and I like the way that Simon pokes a the British class system. When I first started reading the series back in 2000 I identified more with Jude. I thought I was laid back, grounded, live and let live kind of person. However I am beginning to think I'm more of a Carole - neurotic, paranoid, shy and judgemental. I don't know if I've changed, or just got to know myself better!

07 March, 2011

I have been keeping this blog since 2006. I've enjoyed blogging - making blog friends, and feeling that I've made a connection.I do my best to keep it light - I have a special diary for all my worries and weird feelings (now that is a name for a blog!) that I keep private. I don't blog as much as I used to , but I like knowing it is there and if I feel the need I can type away. Blogging is still my favourite social network. Face book is too public for me, and although I do like reading Twitter, 140 characters is not quite enough.

06 March, 2011

I'm starting a new job tomorrow, same organisation, same office but different section. I'm looking forward to it and as the hours are 9 to 5 I can get up later!Was going to write more but Steve is playing Guns and Roses and I meed to get away from the noise...

15 February, 2011

A few years ago I bought Lonely Werewolf Girl by Martin Millar. It was in the horror section of Waterstones, but I wouldn't call it horror - although there is a lot of killing and fighting in it. It is also funny, hip and a bit sad in places , and there is a huge cast of characters. I was quite sad when I finished it. I'd check Amazon for any more books but was there wasn't any.On Sunday I was trawling Amazon and The Good Faries of New York has been reissued. I thought I might buy it, when to my joy I saw that Lonely Werewolf Girl has a sequel called Curse of The Wolf Girl. and I could download it on my kindle! Deep, deep joy. I've just finished reading and loved it as much as I loved the first. In fact I loved it a little bit more than the first.

12 February, 2011

I have always loved crime books : hard boiled, cozy, supernatural but not true.As i am getting older though I am starting to appreciate romance. I LOVE Rivals and the endings to The man who made husbands jealous and Score! are just the best ever! They bring a happy tear to my eye.It is lovely , lovely escapism and in Score there is even a murder or 2.I find that as I get older I get more sentimental. Children singing carols, the Gold medal wards ceremony, the winner of the grand national - all make me choke up. But it is nice having a happy cry , isn't it? In a lot of ways crime books are just as escapist as a romance. it is just that men read them.

07 February, 2011

We've had a long weekend off this week. Unfortunately Mr Robbo came down with a nasty cold Friday night. He tends to succumb to the bugs when he has time off, poor thing. Sunday was our anniversary and we went to see the King's Speech(v. v. good) and had a drink. We were supposed to be going out for dinner but I could tell he was feeling rough and so we went home and had a chilli loaded pizza. Chillis are always good when you have got a cold. So , Steve is a bit fed up that he feels rough etc, so to cheer him up I suggested rather than going out today we watch a film on the telly. We watched Surveillance.I chose it cos Bill Pullman is it and he tends to be in good films, or he lifts the film he is in. OMG!! it certainly took Steve,s mind off his cold. Even though I had my suspicions early on, the film still really freaked me out. And I can't remember the last time a film did that.

06 February, 2011

Been reading a few blogs, where the writers talk about their depression and how they cope not cope.This is my take on it. Depression is extremely frightening as you can not trust what you are thinking. For me it took anti depressants (which are not a quick fix or happy pills by any stretch) and one to one therapy.I remember a Doctor telling me that depression comes in waves, with the waves becoming more and more spaced out over time. I found this to be true.But depression is so awful that when you are feeling down or low, which is natural,you start to panic that you are slipping into depression. So now you are feeling low and panicking. Not good.I have a book that I write down my worries and stuff and I find that just getting all down on paper really helps.The best way I found was to remind myself that this feeling will pass. I will feel better. And if it is the starting of depression: so what? I beaten before I can beat it again.

26 January, 2011

I like reading Eastside Bride's blog and there was an entry about taking your husband's last name.I changed my name when I got married. True, I had quite an cringey (character building, my dad calls it) surname but even if I had a nice bland name I would have changed it. Why? The same reason I wear a wedding ring. Its traditional If I didn't want to change my name, wear a wedding ring I wouldn't have got married. I would have have been happy just living with him.Also as the years tick but, it is nice having the same name. I feel it bonds us, a declaration that we are together. It may be because we haven't got children that I feel this way.As from a feminist point of view, well my maiden name was my Dad's name. I have just traded one man's name for another. If I wanted to be feminist about surnames I'd call myself Gina Barbarasdaughter.

18 January, 2011

Between you and me ...sometimes I like to browse stuff on the internet. Stuff I have no intention of buying - stuff like jewellery, fancy kitchen ware. It is just a bit of harmless day dreaming.So I get a bit fed up when I get emails from Amazon :Gina Robbo you have shown an interest in stuff you have no business buying - look at this lot as well!Amazon - I might be looking, but I am not buying, and you are ruining a guilty pleasure!

01 January, 2011

New Years Day 2000, staying at the Murphys, I watched The Matrix on dvd. I had a pounding hangover and thought my head would explode, but got so engrossed in the film I forgot about the hangover. I had never seen anything like it. The special effects! DVD was so much better than video. I watched it on a wide screen telly, which was cutting edge in those days.New Year's Eve 2010. Steve and I stay in. I drink a modest few glasses of wine. Earlier that day Steve had bought a PS3 and Inception on a Blu Ray disc. We watch the film on our HD telly and the sound is THX. I have never seen or heard anything like it.Wonder what 2020 will be like! Will we have all gone 3D or is that just a fad?By the way, today I woke up fairly early, no hangover!